Automobile jack



A. A. WHITE AUTOMOBILE JACK Jan. 26, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 13, 1950 A. A. WHITE AUTOMOBILE JACK Jan. 26, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet .2

Filed June 15. 1950 .ZWI/AWTOE. 2% 4. M42

Patented Jan. 26, 1954 UNITED .sm ras e r- EN-FT toast-e12:

QAUTOMOBILE JACK I 7 Allen Andrew White; Peabody; 'Kans. Application June 13, 1950, SerialNo. 167,826

3 Claims.

In my prior application, Ser. No. 762,228, filed July 21, 1947, now PatentNo.,2,604,299, I have disclosed a iormof automobile .jack that includes two main members or struts, hinged toa support or baseso as to swing in the same plane about a common axis, or two parallel axes near each other; one of said strutsbeing extensible to lessen the angle of the v-formedgby the struts when the jack is placed under a vehicle and operated to exert lifting forces on an axleand a bumper through the elongation of the extensible member.

The present invention has for its purpose to provide an improved-Jackof the aforesaid type.

In my prior jack the extensible member. in-

' cludes along screw that is undercompression while the jack is carrying a load. "One -of the objects of the present invention is to produce a novel construction wherein the load is causedto place the screw undertension, thereby avoiding any buckling of the screw even though the screw is thus'permissibly .of comparatively small diameter.

Except for 'thescrew; the -v-'-forming members or-struts on my prior'constructionarewmade of tubing. Another object'of the present invention is to provide aconstructionthat permits the .use of struts fashioned from fiatsheet .or. plate material lieu of the more expensivertubes.

-A further. object of the presentinventionis to provide novel sheet metal structures .for the struts .in. a -so-called ftriangleY-.-.jack.. that. permit the .samesheet metal blanks .to be.- used,. with. slight alteration, for, making. the. corresponding struts in a so called V jack, namely, .a jack in which the lateral tie, such as. the chain member connecting the outer ends of .thestruts, is eliminated.

A further object of thepresent. invention is to provide a simple, nvel and ,eflicient means for detachably anchoring one end of achain member to the outer end of one of the struts in a trieangle. jack.

A still further object of the present invention -with a simple and novellifollinggbase structure.

The. various features fof, novelty" .Whe'rebyithe present. invention. isjcharacterized .Will :hereinscription taken in connection. withlthe. accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a top jplan-viewfof ajack embodying the present invention; Fig. 2.is,a sidef'view-of the .jack shown in Fig. 1; Eig..3iis.a.top lplanrview showing, on a larger .-..scal e,. a; ira'gmentl ofl-the jackthatis: at ..the.-right,.hand. end in" Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is aside. viewpf ,the fragmentshown in 1 Fig. 3; Fig. 5 isa sectiontakenonwline 5'5 of 1 Fig. 4, thechainbeingomittedlj. Rig. 5 is av section taken on line 6-6 .of .Fiig..4,.without ,thechain;

Fig. Tis a view,partly'rinlsideaelevationand partly in. section, .of theleft hand ,end .ofv the Jack as it. appears in Figs. l,.and 2;.,but..on. a-larger scale; Fig.3 is. a section, ona larger..s,cale,.taken cn-1ine 8-8 of-Fig; 2;- Fig..-9:is.an enlarged longi- -tudinalv member that constitutes .the extensible strut secsection I through;- the .1111161 end. of the tion, the section beingtaken, on ,line. 9... 9.of

Fig. 12; Fig. 10 is-an end.view,rof the-partshown in Fig. 9, looking at it fromelinetiil-e-hlfl; Fig. 11 is a cross-section takenonline. H?! I of Fig.9;

7 12 is a longitudinal A vertical section of. the jack shown in .Figs. land 2hbut0na largenscale and. showing only a small. .fragmentlof vthe left hand strut'member; -Eig.-:-13.-is --a sideiview ofsthe mm provide a simple and novel means, frictionally to hold a strut against movement relatively tothe suppDrting base; in a 'V-type jack,

while thestruts are 'beingbrought into position for engagement with a vehicle axle and a bumper.

.A stiII further objectof the present invention resides in the provision of a novel axle-contacting shoe for a, V -type jack strut providing clear- ..ance for a. hydraulic brake lineextending adjacent the axle.

Still another. objectof thapresent, invention is to provide jacks of the aforesaid general type jackamodified'for use as av. jack showing avehicle axle engaged by one strut and two bumpers on the other strut eithezwoneot which is adapted to engage the bumper .of-.the;y,ehicle;,.liig. l4-is a top plan view of the jack/.shownwin Fig.' 13;. Fig.

- 15. is a: section; on a larger-.scale,- taken ,oneline 15-45 of Fig.13; Fig. leis. scale, taken-on line azsectionwon a larger Iii-46 of l3;rFig.. 17. is a side view of the bumpenengaging;member. .or

.hook. shown in Fig. 16, the iew=being partially in sectiomFig. 18 is.a cross sectionrtakenvon-line 18-!8 of Fig. 12; Eig laisa topplanfview'of a fragment of ,the-jack showing',same. proijr'ided .with a base of anodised? orm; andfl jigfzo is a side elevation of.ithe fragmentlshown Fig. '19.

Reference will be ,hadffirst;.toFigs; 1 12,; inclusive. Base125 is similar to"that in'myfprior device. Strut 26 and section;21-of the'other strut are hinged to' the. .basegas; areiithe corresponding elements. in my, prior "jack andare' both-=made outpf rectangular.metalfisheets;

hinge axes of the 2,667,328 i I V I trough that decreases in width from its pivoted inner end to the outer end; and, consequently, the sides or flanges 26" of the trough increase in height from the inner end to the outer end. Mounted between the sides 26 and closing the outer end of member 26 is a U- haped axle-engaging member or plate 28 having arms extending laterally inwardly of the trough with portions thereof projecting above the trough sides and having parallel edge portions 28 sloping inwardly and downwardly toward the bottom of the trough. The member 28 is secured in place by bolt or rivet 29 that passes through the same and through the flanges 26 and rivet 29 passes also through the link at one end of the chain member 30. Strut section 21 starts at its inner pivoted end as a wide trough having side flanges 21 the width of the trough decreasing and the sides thereof progressively sweeping upwardly and inwardly until the outer end portion 21 is in the form of a longitudinally split tube. The inner ends of members 25 and 21 lie between two parallel upright ears or sections 3|, 3! of the base 25 and are secured to the latter by separate hinge pins 32, 32 passing through these sections and through the flanges of the members 26 and 21. A pair of metallic stiffening plates 34, 34 extend across the slot between the long edges of the tubular portion 2'! of the strut 21 at spaced points where the tubular shape is being approached; these stifiening plates being welded to the strut.

The section 35 of the extensible strut that extends into section 21, through the tubular end of the latter, also is formed from a single rectangular sheet metal blank; this blank being rolled into the form of a tube having a wide gap or slot 36 extending throughout the length thereof. The blank for strut section 35 is slitted near its inner end in axially spaced planes at opposite sides thereof as at 31, to leave two transversely aligned strips 38, severed from the body of the blank only at their long edges. A cylindrical ball bearing unit 39, the axial length of which equals the width of the strips 38, is set into this slitted end of strut section 35, and the portions 49, 40 of the section 35 which extend longitudinally from opposite sides of the strip portions 38 are crimped inwardly to confine the bearing 39 within the transversely spaced strip portions 38 and between the longitudinally spaced crimped portions 40, 49. The ball bearing unit is thus secured in member 35. A portion of member 35, at the opposite or outer end thereof, is crimped longitudinally inwardly as at 44, as best shown in Fig. 5, and the gap 36 in that end portion is closed to create a sleeve 4!, the extreme end of which has a partially cylindrical under side 42. The crimped upper side of this sleeve creates a longitudinal rib 44 extending inwardly to a distance from the axis of arcuate part 42 equal to the radius of that part. The crimped part is cut away for a short distance inwardly from the extreme end of member 35, to create a shoulder 45 disposed at right angles to the axis of the latter. Slipped over the sleeve and bearing against shoulder 45 is a thick connection plate 46 for a selected one of the links of chain 39 which is secure in place by flanging over, as at 41, the pro- .truding partially cylindrical end of the sleeve.

Plate 46 has two spaced, upwardly projecting fingers 48, 48. provided with slightly angularly bent ends to create hooks facing away from the jack. The spacing between the fingers is such that one of the links of chain 1 30, set on edge, may bereceived between the finnut being fixed to strut 4 gers, with the next link lying crosswise of the fingers underneath the bent ends of the latter.

Within strut section 35 is a long screw 49 that passesthrough'a nut 50 inside of the strut; this section 21 by a rivet 5|, or in any other suitable manner, and this nut 59 extends into member 35 through the slot 36 in the latter. The screw 49 has at its inner end a smooth cylindrical part 52 of smaller diameter than the body of the screw which extends through the bearing until 39 to thus provide a shoulder for the screw in engagement with the bearing. In part 52, just outwardly from and adjacently to the bearing unit, is an annular, peripheral groove 53 within which is mounted a split retaining ring 54 that protrudes from the groove and thus retains the bearing 39 from displacement off the end of the screw. The opposite or outer end of beyond the outer end of strut section 35 and is there provided with a crank 55 for turning the same. The screw member is rotatably mounted in the partially cylindrical part 42 at the outer end of member 35 and is held in place within the same by rib 44.

In using the jack in the conventional manner, a vehicle axle A is seated on an end portion of chain 39 against the sloping edges 29 of axleengaging 28 at the outer end of strut 26, while the corresponding vehicle bumper B rests on the opposite end portion of chain 39; the chain being drawn taut as the screw 49 is turned by the handle 55 to lengthen the extensible strut 21 and thereby decrease the angle between the two struts while one end of the vehicle is raised. It will be seen that the screw 49 is adjustably anchored to strut section 21 by nut 59, while the load on the corresponding strut is, in efiect, suspended from the inner end of the screw, inwardly from the nut. Consequently, the screw, while supporting a load, is under tension; and, therefore, it need not be as sturdy as would be the case if it were required to serve as a compression member.

In Figs. 13-17, I have shown how, with only slight modifications in the blanks for strut members 26, 21 and 35, the jack becomes a V-type jack, using no chain or other cross tie. Actually, .strut member 2'! is the same in both forms of jack, except that the little plates 34, used in the first form, are omitted from the V-ty-pe jack. Strut 55 is made from the same blank as strut 26, only that a portion of the outer end is cut off to shorten it. Also, flanges 5B are brought a little closer together than in the first form, particularly at their outer ends, to provide between them only suflicient space for the reception of an axle-contacting shoe 51 in the form of a. thick plate mounted on edge between the side flanges 55 and held in place by rivets 58. The edge 51 of this'shoe, that constitutes the end edge of the strut, is curved to fit against the axle A, and has therein a recess or notch 51 this recess 51* providing clearance for a conduit C that usually extends along the vehicle axle as part of the hydraulic brake line. The blank for strut 56 also contains a short slot 56', along the longitudinal center, for a purpose to be explained later.

Strut section 59, with its screw 49, difiers from the corresponding part in the first form only in that the outer end 59 is a plain cylindrical sleeve, so that the sheet metal blank therefore is a simple rectangle. .However, this blank is provided at each .of a plurality of points, along screw member 49 protrudes the longitudinal center, with spaced pairs of aligned slots 59, 59 to receive bumper-engaging hooks 60 either one of which is adapted to engage the bumper of a vehicle. Each bumper hook consists of a piece of sheet metal folded upon itself along a central line. The bottom edges of each bumper-engaging hook are provided with oppositely bent flanges or ears 6|) that extend through a pair of slots 59*. When these ears are bent laterally, as shown in Fig. 16, the bumper-engaging hooks are firmly anchored and securely welded to member 59. The bumper hooks have, in the edges facing away from the hinge axes of the jack, deep concavities or bays 60 into which marginal portions along the lower edges of a vehicle bumper B may extend and 'be seated. The hook nearest the hinge axes is adapted to pass down through slot 56 in member '55 when the jack is conveniently folded for storage or transportation.

In the use of a jack that contains only the struts and no cross tie, the user would usually be required to hold one strut against the axle while the extensible strut is being engaged with the bumper. I have provided a simple means to relieve the user of this task and thus make the application of the jack easier. As best shown in Figs. 13 and 15, the inner end of the bottom of the trough-like strut member 56, just below the hinge pin 32 for this member, is formed with a downward arcuate bulge 55 that is a section of a cylinder having the same axis as the hinge pin. The radius of the outer face of this cylindrical bulge 56 is a little greater than the dis- I tance between said axis and the top face of strip 25 of base 25; the strip 25 being the central portion of the base remaining in the process of forming the upstanding ears 3|. Consequently, bulge 55 presses firmly against such strip 25 and establishes a substantial frictional resistance to swinging movements of strut 56. Therefore the user need only swing strut 56 up to bring shoe 5'! level with the vehicle axle A in order to have it remain at that level without further eifort on his part than to keep the base fiat on the ground until the jacks struts are firmly engaged with both axle and bumper.

It is sometimes desirable, particularly in the case of heavy duty jacks, to be able to roll them from one place or position to another. In such case, as shown in Figs. 19 and 20, the base may be composed of an axle 62 provided with wheels 63; the axle serving also as a hinge pin common to the two opposed struts 64 and 6 5.

I claim:

1. An extensible strut for jacks of the V and triangle types comprising a first section adapted to be hinged at one end to a base, a second section slidable lengthwise in and protruding from the first section at the outer end of the latter, the second section containing a longitudinal slot, a nut fastened to the first section and extending through said slot into the interior of the second section, a screw extending into said second section through the outer end thereof and through and in screw-threaded relation to said nut, means connecting the inner ends of the screw and said second section together against relative axial movements while permitting relative rotary movements, and means for rotating said screw to move said second section relatively to said first section.

2. A strut member for a. jack of the triangle type composed of a rectangular piece of sheet metal shaped into a tube having a wide slot extending from its inner end to within a short distance of its outer end, the outer end portion being deformed to create a sleeve that has a semi-cylindrical portion disposed opposite a portion of greater width which includes an integrally formed rib extending inwardly toward said semi-cylindrical portion, the innermost face portion of said rib being spaced apart from the axis of said semi-cylindrical portion a distance equal to a radius Of the latter and said semi-cylindrical portion extending outwardly beyond the portion containing said rib, a plate having a circular opening through which said extended portion extends and said plate having thereon means constituting a hook, and the extreme end of said semi-cylindrical portion being flanged to overlap said plate to thereby retain said plate on the outer end of said strut member.

3. An extensible strut as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means connecting the inner ends of said screw and said second section together consists of an antifriction bearing through which the inner end of said screw extends, a split ring carried on the inner end of said screw preventing axial movement of said screw inwardly of said second section relatively to said bearing, and deformed portions of the inner end of said second section interlocking said bearing with the inner end of said second section for movement together with said second section longitudinally of said first section.

ALLEN ANDREW WHITE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 502,200 Pearson July 25, 1893 2,179,948 Mizer Nov. 18, 1939 2,504,201 Johnson Apr. 18, 1950 2,581,688 Miller Jan. 8, 1952 2,604,299 White July 22, 1952 

